Philipp schwiokaedt



. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIPP SOHWIOKARDT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MODE OF PRODUCING DESIGNS ON WOOD.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 14.472, dated March 18, 1856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIPP SOHWICKARDT, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, of the State of New York, have invented a new and useful method of producing upon wood veins, streaks, drawings, pictures, and designs in general by means of pressure, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in compressing wood artificially softened, of-one or more different kinds, between two forms containing the design to be produced, one the obverse and the other the reverse of the design, and thereby producing through the body of the wood so compressed a design corresponding to the design of the two forms employed, which design will appear on the surface of the wood on taking off the raised design or cutting the wood in alineparallel with the formsused.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, 1' will proceed to describe my invention and process more fully.

I soften the wood by steam, boiling, or in any of the known ways, compress it between two forms containing the design to be produced, one the obverse and the other the reverse thereof, employing the known means of pressure and applying a sufficient degree of force.

The forms or dies employed by me are such that the contour and all the highest points of the design'are equally high, and all the lowest points equally deep, lying each in one plane, somewhat similar to xylographic forms, but differing from them by having oblique instead of perpendicular lines running between the highest and lowest points, whereby the desired variations of light and shade are produced. These forms are part of my invention; and it is to be remarked that the forms or dies commonly used for impressing embossed designs upon any material will not answer for my invention, and that my forms or dies will not produce in the eyes of men skilled in the arts any fine embossed'work. The depth of the engraving depends upon the size of the wood to be compressed or the thickness of the veneers.

Upon taking oil the raised designs impressed by the forms, where the same were in immediate contact with the wood, a design corresponding to the design of the forms will appear on the plane surface of the wood, which design is transmitted more or less through the whole body of the wood so compressed, and appears on the surface wherever the wood is out in a line parallel to the forms; and, if the wood is cut in veneers, appears on each side of every veneer corresponding to the design as represented by the forms.

An important application of my invention is that, instead of one piece, I take two or any number of pieces or veneers, of different kinds of wood or of different natural color, compress them between the forms, so that the different woods are pressed into each other, join then the pieces or veneers so pressed by glue or any other gelatinous substance, and cut them again in the same way as above described in relation to one piece of wood compressed between the forms. The design or picture thereby produced will be more efiective by the difference of the natural colors of the wood and appear as a new kind of mosaic or inlaid work.

It is apparent that the single pieces may as well be compressed singly as jointly, and that Not the production of raised designs, but of veins, streaks, drawings, pictures, and designs on the plane surface of the woods by means of.

pressure, the forms or dies above described, and the application of the same for the production of such veins, streaks, drawings, pictures, and designs,the exclusive use of the design produced through the body of woods when compressed between proper forms, and the combination of two or more kinds of wood to produce the mosaic or inlaid work by compressin g, joining, and separating them, as above described.

IHILIPP SOHWIOKARDT.

Witnesses:

Dr. J. GOLDMARK, H. M. RUGGLES. 

